Trafferth i Torchwood
by Captain Harkness 4 eva
Summary: Torchwood 4 are called in, there are bodies going missing in the countryside, flesh and skin ripped off clean, but what sort of creature can do that? Is it the cannibals from 10 years ago, is it the time for 'The Harvest' again? My take on 'Countrycide!
1. Chapter 1

Trafferth i Torchwood (Trouble for Torchwood)

**Chapter 1- Stormy Blue**

_**Welsh country people**_

The dappled sun played on the ground and danced across the faces of Alice, Katya and Clara. The smell of sweet flowers was pungent in the air and the heat of spring clung in the air uncomfortably. However there was a light breeze in the air which made the trees rustle peacefully, but this also stirred panic in Clara as she feared someone was always behind her. As the breeze began to pick up pollen was blown into their eyes, blinding them for a minute or two. The girls instinctively rubbed their eyes, Katya sneezed loudly and silence followed awkwardly. The girls clutched hands desperately and walked on huddled together accompanied by the sound of busy bees on their way. The trees heavy with leaves made the path dark and the sun struggled to reach through, the girls trod cautiously stepping out every bump on the path hesitating at every turn.

Clara confidently led the others meanwhile Alice lurked behind unsure of the way. Katya staggered further back, dragging her feet heavily, complaining from the effort. Katya was distracted from the group to the side of the path. As she strayed away Clara ordered her to keep up. Katya was lured to a patch of old dandelions; she plucked one out of the ground and blew on it lightly spreading seeds everywhere. She dropped the stalk carelessly and raced after Clara and Alice calling helplessly "Wait for me!" as she caught up breathless Clara and Alice were mulling over a complicated direction in their walk book. As Katya came to an abrupt halt, the sun was obscured by a large black cloud, rain was threatening to sky. Clara shuddered as the wind howled like a wolf on a cold night, it blew cold air through her clothes and goose bumps materialised on her arms. "Is it just me or is it really cold!" Clara enquired. "No I'm cold too!"Alice replied. They hugged each other tightly to spread their warmth and as a comfort for each other. Katya bumped between them and poked her head through the warm mass "Is there space for me!"

As the girls walked on the sun rose to its full height and burnt out all the clouds instead the sky was scorched a perfect blue. The suns strength was immense and it tortured their bodies as the heat beat them violently. Sweat ran down the side of Clara's face and she wiped the beads of sweat swiftly off her forehead with the back of her arm. Trudging in the light dust, feet shuffling in agony, a meek voice was heard "How much further?" whined Katya. But there was no response. Clara and Alice were rested on an old wooden stile. Panting with exhaustion they all collapsed in a heap on the ground, they rolled around in the grass, laughing in delight childishly. The spring sun was blinding them as they laid on the grass carpet peacefully gazing up at the vibrant blue sky, cloud gazing "Look at that one, it looks like a cat!" Alice pointed out naively. But before they could lie there any longer the sun was once again blotted out by a large grey cloud ominously. The sudden changing of the weather was strange and it stirred an atmosphere of panic within the stomachs of Clara, Alice and Katya. Funnily enough Alice's stomach grumbled as the clouds rolled across the sky and in the far distance thunder clattered in the sky like the breaking of bones.

_**Torchwood 4**_

"Jones, yeah you Jones, are you ready?" With tacit agreement and a slight nod the broad backed Captain pulled his greatcoat over his large shoulders and slipped into it like a preset mould made from years of wearing it. "Guns ready Captain" remarked Gwen and Harper added "And medi kit loaded". With a jingle of car keys and a slamming of doors the team were off with Jack at the wheel. Disappearing behind them was a ridiculously tall skyscraper; its presence was felt as it peered over the top of Cardiff city. The whole building was made of glass that reflected the rare sunshine in Cardiff. However the top three floors of the building had completely blacked out windows which gave the building its name the Black Topper, and it was on these top three floors that Torchwood 4 had its base.

The view from the Black Topper was immense as Cardiff Bay stretched out in front of it and the skyline was not obscured by any other buildings. From this position Torchwood had the ideal advantage of seeing any unusual activity or monster sightings. However they could not be disturbed or easily spotted hidden at the top of the largest Welsh bank firm. They had their own private lift only to be accessed with a special code they also had a private car park to accommodate the company Land Rover Defender and employee's cars. But what was the most important aspect of the building for Torchwood was the fact that the Rift ran straight through the building and out through the top of the roof. This way Sato could constantly monitored what was coming in, and this was the most ideal aspect of the building for Torchwood.

"So what have we got?" enquired Gwen Cooper as she rotated in her passenger seat to look behind to the rear seats at Miss Sato and Dr. Harper. Jones was in the further row of seats next to the cage compartment with Fifi, the teams newly accomplished sniffer dog. A certain Miss Sato replied "It's the countryside; bodies are disappearing, hundreds of them, missing people!"Gwen looked into her Captain's eyes; they were no longer a clear aquatic blue but rather a stormy blue. "Could it be?" Gwen implied it could be the Harvest that they had encountered in the Countryside 10 years before. "It's been 10 years "added Gwen but Jack only shrugged heavily in reply and focused on driving. A voice from the very back of the car hesitated "What happened 10 years ago?" "Oh nothing to worry about!" Mr. Harkness interrupted abruptly being as secretive as he was. However tears began to well up in his eyes and one loose one ran down the side of his face as memories of his old team flooded back. Gwen rested an arm on his knee to reassure him she was there for him and she had suffered equally.

Jack put his foot down hard on the accelerator and the car sped along the main road at 80mph. The brakes squealed as Jack swerved the car dangerously to turn at a junction. Meanwhile the team braced themselves and Fifi barked accordingly. Gwen's hand slipped from Jack's knee as she gripped on tightly to the inside of the car door. Harper and Sato clutched each other desperately and on the back row Jones had a face of panic as she was thrown against Fifi's cage.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two- Bigger on the Inside

_**Torchwood 4**_

"Uh countryside, that means walking, grass, and mud!" Harper ended in a climax, Jack added "And lots of dead bodies, any ideas as to what it may be Dr. Harper?", "Countryside + bodies stripped of flesh = ..." Silence followed after the DR.'s baffled hypnosis. Sato and Harper turned to face each other but Sato broke off as something on the computer screen lit up and she attended to it as a mother to a baby. The silence was interposed as Sato read off a real of names "Sally, John, Gwyneth... and the most recent case is Owen, a doctor in fact" once again thunder was visible in Jack's eyes. Meanwhile Jones was struggling to process all the names, deaths, people, lives, humans, human beings just like her. She trusted Jack completely but there was something odd about the way he responded to this case, but she knew he would never let up about what it was, so she left the thought to settle into the back of her mind.

Gwen was still not satisfied with these so called missing bodies so she filled the stagnant air with more questions. "Where exactly are we going?" A swift voice replied "It's called Smutts Wood, 50 miles into the Welsh Valleys." in a softly toned American accent. Gwen mulled over the name for a while scratching the back of her mind for a clue as to where it might be "I believe one of the locations people have gone missing from is Smutts Farm." "Thanks could you upload that on my P.D.A" Gwen asked politely. "Sending a map with grid references right now" Sato replied efficiently as she peered over her nose glaring at the screen perched on the back of the driver's chair. A ping vibrated in the air and the screen illuminated on Gwen's P.D.A. The light was reflected in Gwen's almond eyes and her gaze was sucked to the screen, examining the map closely the car once again fell silent except for the rattle of the cage in the back seats.

Jack reclined his head back to peer through the rear view mirror, his glance looked over the pale face of Jones, her silence stirred panic in Jack's heart, something was bothering her. Lost in the back of the car a lucid veil fell over Jones as her mind and heart spoke to herself, but nothing came to Jack's tongue to lighten her mood. Suddenly the veil lifted from Jones "It's the next left Jack." A sharp but perky voice rattled the car. Her face lit up as she met Jack's eyes in the mirror and a smile broadened across Mr. Harkness' face stretching from ear to ear. The Captain gave a cheesy wink and Jones's face flushed red and as Jack's gaze moved on to the road, Jones gently lowered her eyes and played with her thumbs idly.

The grey tine Land Rover Defender rolled across the road smoothly packed densely with five people and one dog. The outer body of the car was sourced from an alien planet, it was light metal but also very robust making it ideal for speedy driving. It was also fitted with blue flashing lights on the front windscreen and three large floodlights perched on the roof. But the inside of the SUV was particularly special it was dimensionally transcendental in understandable English it was bigger on the inside than the outside. This way the team of five could fit comfortably inside with space for Fifi the dog in her cage. The car even housed a pull out autopsy table and stretcher as well as the all essential computers with super extensive GPS signal, stolen of course from the police Jack always liked to add. This super hi-tech SUV rolled along the road on four 12 inch wheels made from an alien sourced material that was extra robust for bumpy terrains and fast driving. Every inch of the vehicle was high-tech and most of the materials were alien sourced. Every spec of the SUV was checked by the Captain, who had once learned from a certain Ianto Jones about the aspects of cleanliness. He now kept every detail of the car in order of his name; however Jack kept these personal details to himself as he did most things. It was better his team did not know all aspects of his past and his feelings. Jack was rather like the car, bigger on the inside. All memories and sentiments remained in his body and far from the view of his team and he only revealed a little about himself, you could say his soul was far larger than his appearance.

_**Welsh country people**_

Large fat raindrops fell heavy from the sky and marked Alice's shorts with large dark stains. The sound echoed as the water splattered on the leaves and formed puddles in the ditches. Gushes of dirty water rushed down the gulleys of the path, cascading down bringing all the pollen debris with it. Lighting struck again like a tare down the skyline, splitting the clouds. Thunder followed like an echo and it was so powerful that the ground shook violently and the trees trembled and water from their leaves splashed down on the ground. The rustle was eerie and as the wind picked up it blew the rain slanted so it reached under the shelter of the trees and the girls had to scurry across the open ground to reach for an alternative shelter. Their legs stretched out before them faster than they could ever imagine they could run. Hearts beating, lungs screaming and tongues hanging they raced on. Arms swinging down buy their sides. Clara was the furthest ahead as she darted off quickly at the start but now her pace began to slow as she realised she did not know the destination of this sudden sprint. She turned her head to look over her shoulder at Katya and Alice struggling behind in her path. Clara hesitated and stopped abruptly on top of a large field, open and vulnerable to the penetrating rain. The wind cut her skin and soaked her face; water ran down it like tears, Clara's panicked face melted under the rain and her frozen hands clawed at her wet shrivelled hair dripping on her shoulders. Where could she run?

Katya and Alice clutched Clara either side bending over to catch their breath. Alice struggled to speak, "Where now?" she managed exasperated. "How about over there?" Katya pointed out sharply. Clara and Alice scoured the skyline to where Katya was pointing. A slim beam of sunlight strained through the soot coloured clouds. It highlighted a tall pine tree forest, as soon as the girls spotted it they continued to race across the open field. The contrast between the vibrant green of the grass and the dark menacing sky was striking. As Katya leaped over large muddy ditches of water the scenery became a blur of green and grey mixed together running along as she did. Almost like a painters palate the colours merged together and swirled within each other. Katya was wet right through, her clothes were stretching and heavy and it made it hard for her to run. She struggled to breathe normally in the humid air that hung close to her body. Her breathing was rasping and her legs were cold like dead flesh, they were pale as well as wet.

Girls picked up speed as they hurtled down the other side of the hill, clambering along with clumsy feet as they tried to not fall head over heels. Water ran down the side of their faces and dripped off the ends of their soaked hair. Their shoes squelched as they were so wet and Katya's wellies splayed up mud and tufts of grass as she ran. The girls halted at the front of a small but warm looking wood, the heat radiated towards them and they felt invited.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three- Something in the Silence

_**Welsh country people**_

Alice stepped cautiously one foot in front of the other the pine needles crunching under her feet the sound echoed as Katya and Clara followed close behind her into the wood. The air was musky and dry forming lumps in their throats, in the background the rain kept falling outside the shelter of the forest. The air was stagnant and the children had to wade through it with arms inter-linked with each other. They marched simultaneously down the line of tall trees in time to the call of the birds. Looking from left to right all that could be seen for miles was brown sad trees.

Their branches stuck out sorely, numb and naked without leaves to protect them. The sun battled to reach the bottom of the trees and therefore the branches struggled to grow green leaves. Only at the top of the trees did they compete for sunlight and they were topped green. This made the towering pine trees look sad and strange. Glancing up the girls noticed how out of place the trees looked their green topped hats on their thin auburn bodies. Glaring up at the torn sky a bulbous drop fell heavily into Alice's eyes and spilled down her face but she wiped it away immediately and she continued to stride on in the steps of Clara and Katya. There was a clear path dividing two clusters of trees which mirrored each other. The route continued straight and narrow or so Alice thought; the line began to slow down as Clara reached an obstacle barring her way through the maze of trees. A rotten tree had fallen across the path like a solider out of line it caused an irregular pattern, its corpse lay angular and uncomfortable, caught frozen in an image of pain and distortion. Clara paused for a moment and then gingerly jumped over the corpse. Katya followed by stepping on the trunk with one foot and the other stepped over, Alice did the same.

It was this distraction that led Alice to notice the deadened silence of the forest was due to the fact that the floor was layered with a blanket of dead pine needles and broken pine cones. Her vision altered as her eyes were distracted by something dark moving in amongst the trees to the left side of the forest. The creature scuttled with hast, it fumbled along the floor of the forest dashing in and out of the clearings and therefore slipping in and out of visibility. As the girls remained frozen they searched cautiously with their eyes to make out the dark mysterious creature. Their rasping breath was no longer penetrating the air but their hearts continued to beat rapidly. Otherwise it was only the short outbursts of sound as the creature waddled hastily towards them, playing with the silence.

Suddenly the warmth the girls had once felt as they had entered the forest vanished, instead the surroundings grew colder and colder as the creature edged nearer towards them. However the girls remained steady glued in absorption of fear. But as the darkness came Katya had had enough. Suddenly everything went black as the clouds gathered up more above them. As a result all the sun's rays were extinguished, the lack of light meant panic rose rapidly to extreme levels and Katya could no longer hold back.

Her voice shattered the silence eerily "I have had enough of this, I'm getting outta here now!" her whisper trembled with fear, but it was enough to alert the creature, which had now stopped shuffling. Two yellow beady eyes were visible in the dark matter and stared with malice. A hissing sound was heard and the girls fled before they knew where the sound was coming from. A clamour of sound rose as Katya, Clara and Alice scurried with large feet, weaving in and out of the trees swiftly. No one gave a second thought if the creature was following them; they just ran instinctively for somewhere safer. Once again their feet pounding the floor heavily and their infrequent sharp breaths accompanied their thumping hearts and heaving chests. They covered the majority of the forest floor within a matter of minutes and escaped out the other side into the blinding light. Clara and Alice strained to look back over their shoulders to confirm the rodent had not followed them.

"What do you think that was?" enquired Katya. "I don't know looked like some kind of large rodent to me, or maybe a wild cat?" suggested Clara. Meanwhile Alice who was still staring into the forest had other thoughts about the mysterious creature. "It was a badger, I'm pretty sure about that, I read in the newspaper once that a man was mauled to death by a badger, vicious creatures they are!" Clara placed a trembling hand on Alice's shoulder in reassurance and they all turned on their heel and continued down an over grown path of nettles. As they walked on the shock left them in silence. But as they came to a clearing there was a new energy in them. They trampled up to a farm and a large farm gate lay hanging from its hinges, battered and rusting there was a broken sign on it explaining this was Smutts Farm, the sign also clearly indicated no trespassing. However oblivious to this the girls trod cautiously through the gate and separated in different directions to investigate what looked like and abandon farm.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four- Unspoken Words

_**Torchwood 4**_

The SUV pulled on to the motorway swiftly and as it accelerated to keep up with the flow of traffic the metal autopsy table was slightly loose and rattled with the effort. Other than the monotonous drumming of the engine running and the cars passing on either side there were no words spoken between the team. Jack was concentrating on driving with his long stretched arms and his large hands firmly on the wheel, with his eyes fully focused on the road ahead. But Jack never spoke much anyway. However the robust woman seated next to him in the passenger chair, always had something to say, but no words came from her mouth either. Gwen was staring out of the side window; she was caught in a daydream watching the cars they passed. Her mind was elsewhere, she was a thinker, if you could call her that and at that moment she was contemplating where all these people were going, drivers determined to reach a destination, but for what reason? Carrying out all parts of their lives with urgency, oblivious to the existence of aliens. A big multi-seater car pulled up next to Gwen's side of the Defender. Gwen realised she was starring too much but before she pulled her gaze away she caught a glimpse of the young girl in the back seat who smiled at her.

The girl had long golden ginger hair that covered her shoulders in waves of toffee colour. She had a large smile which spread from ear to ear with dimples and two perfectly round big green eyes. She had been doing the same as Gwen starring out of the window to pass the time; Gwen returned a gap-toothed smile and brushed a few stray strands of hair from her fringe out of her face. But Gwen was pulled into the real world as Jack jerked the Land Rover forward in order to fill the free space in front. But as Gwen awoke from her dreamlike state the red headed girl reminded her once again why she did this job and put her life at risk. She saved the world from alien threats everyday and no one knew, but she did it to save the human race and girls that daydream in the back of cars, so they could carry on living their lives in peace. But that responsibility was strenuous and that was what had caused the heavy atmosphere in the car. The unspoken words that meant fighting for the future on behalf of the human race and they were not going to give up.

In the row of seats behind the Doctor flicked through her phone. It was important that it was pink, the Doctor like pink and loved the fact that her blackberry was a funky pink. She scanned through her texts, nothing, she pocketed the phone away and began to search through the medi kit, checking and rechecking everything was there and ready. Meanwhile beside her the smartly dressed lady with so much dignity tapped on the raised keyboard. She had been interested to see a connection between the disappearances. After finding no trace of linking the missing persons she continued to look at the Rift at the time of the disappearances, a couple hours previous to the first reported missing person there was a clear spike in the Rift. She thought to herself something must have come through. An animal, a dangerous creature, something that ripped flesh from skeletons was what the headline of the local Smutts Wood. Could these be connected she pondered. Tosh tagged this into the 'Monster Files' on the Torchwood database. Whilst the page struggled to load Miss Sato took a swig of water from her large bottle of Highland Spring water and passed it on to her neighbouring Doctor as she could see her yearning hand reaching for the bottle out of the corner of her eye.

She resumed her study on the suspect alien as the computer detected 'one match'. The alien was described as being larvae that tore away and lived of human skin. The entry had been made by Jack a good 30 years ago, so it could be something he had encountered before. However the genius that she was she kept the hard work to herself and was not a show off, so did not mention anything for the time being. At the same time Miss Jones had been slumped in the rear of the vehicle, she had been comforting Fifi, squeezing her nimble fingers through the cage she was able to scratch her scruff. Fifi had like the attention but was now pawing at the metal frame that surrounded her, eager to get out. After attempting to settle Fifi down, Jones reverted to fiddling with her watch, she clicked the strap in and out and twisted the loose frame but the seconds didn't pass any faster.

Not long after entering the motorway a sign indicated to get to the area of Smutts Wood you have to take the following exit. As the mighty Defender approached the sign a torrent of rain fell down, Jack had suspected it would come soon as they had been travelling under a large black cloud for quite some time now. The thunderous storm made the SUV rock and the rain poured incessantly down the windows causing the windscreen wipers to struggle. However the windows were coated with an extra special layer that allowed most of the rainwater to run off it easily but this was more than the usual showers they were designed to deal with. Suddenly Gwen murmured to Jack "It's this exit" and Jack followed this command by steering a sharp left as they escaped the drone of the motorway. The four passengers gripped their seats as the car swerved into action. Speaking of action the team then began to prep themselves, earphones were fitted, their blue flashing lights flicked on by the button on Jack's vortex manipulator and a beep ricocheted amongst the tin lining of the land Rover. Next guns, Gwen cocked her automatic ready and prepared, Harper and Sato did the same and Jones prepared her special glock gun. Fifi barked and the surgeon next to her unlocked the cage and as soon as this had happened the Dalmatian scurried out and licked Jones's face thoroughly.

Meanwhile Jack had driven on steadily and tapped his loyal Webley in its holster at his hip as he heard the rest of his team preparing their own guns. He was heading in the direction of Smutts farm and Gwen was helping him at his side with the directions. Jack manoeuvred the SUV down a ditch, it skidded in the mud but Jack skilfully moved it onto the open field. Off road the wheels struggled in the mud but soon the vehicle was moving at quite a speed bouncing over the bumpy terrain. Jones struggled to get the harness fitted on Fifi as they were thrown about in the inside, Sato fixed up her P.D.A, as did Gwen and her lightweight laptop in its case, she fastened her gun and torch to each ankle and looked to Harper for reassurance. Gwen, meanwhile whilst continuing to direct Jack alongside Smutts Wood in the direction of Smutts Farm, fixed together her extra special Desert Eagle gun, Jack had the most trust in her and they had a special connection which meant Gwen had the responsibility of the Desert Eagle as the SUV neared the destination, Smutts Farm, the entire team excluding the Captain gulped simultaneously but silently, they did so because they all had a rising feeling of life or death as they knew what the next few hours might bring and it frighten them. But he only one not frighten was Captain Harkness, he was fearless but that made him the ultimate victim.

Smutts Farm was clearly visible positioned on the top of the hill making the sheer drop of the Welsh valleys on the other side. It was being attacked on all sides by the torrential rain that battered its weak and feeble frame. Approaching the farm up the slow hill the car wandered slowly slipping in the grass which had now been made sludge. Gwen heard Jack curse under his breath about all the dirt he would have to clean off the front of the car. Grass whirled around with the wheels and tufts of it flew everywhere, the team starred out of the windows horrified but he Land Rover finally made it to the top of the hill and pulled up sharply next to the farm. Jack exclaimed as he put the mighty vehicle into park "So team, are we ready?" he said it almost excitedly like a little boy about to go on and adventure, but there was no enthusiastic reply only Fifi, who barked with Jack's enthusiasm and Jack said to this "I know I've always got your agreement Fifi" and with that he stepped out into the rain.

As the car emptied out the rest of the team followed at their Captain's heels. Jack already had his gun poised, Gwen did the same and they covered the ground quickly James Bond style. Meanwhile Dr. Harper flung the medi kit onto one shoulder hanging off the other casually, Sato had her laptop carefully hinged under one arm and P.D.A in the opposite hand, and finally Dr. Jones caught up abruptly to Jack's side as Fifi hauled her across the gravel floor rather comically. Jack looked the building up and down it looked like it had been deserted for quite some time now. The state of it was like something out of a horror film, most of the windows were shattered and only shards of glass were left hanging in the frames. Paint was peeling off the walls and there were many missing tiles in the roof. The Welcome sign hung precariously over the front door and many letters were missing so it only spelt W-L-C-O-E. A wild rose had grown untamed across the porch and the grass had grown long and yellow. In any case Jack knocked hardly on the wooden door getting tangled in a thick layer of cobwebs; he pulled a disgusted face as he rubbed away the debris from his coat. With no response Jack crouched down and peered through a dusty cat flap, what he saw was so horrifying that when Gwen turned to him with a questioning face the only thing he could do was force the door open brutally. As the door gave in Jack stood in the doorway gun aimed at the floor and either side of him stood Gwen on his left, Sato on his right and behind them the two doctors stood static, but not a scream escaped any of their mouths.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five- The Unquestionable Doubt

_**Welsh country people**_

Katya strode up to the front of the building with its unwelcoming front door entwined with cobwebs. She saw a spider wriggle its way across the wooden slats but even it looked dead. The wooden planks that made the floorboards of the porch were cracked and covered in a thick layer of dust, some planks had rotted away completely there was nothing left of them. A woody rose bush had made its way across the porch, although I must have grown to get there it looked lifeless now, no flowers were in bloom and only dead crisp brown petals covered the floor unlike soft red velvet petals Katya imagined they once were. Looking around her she saw the twisted shape of the leafless trees caught in a moment of agony as their branches twisted around themselves in an awkward position. The trees were obviously dead as it was the height of spring and they had no leaves and bore no flowers. Instead of trying to force the door open Katya walked around the side of the farm. She skirted the old wall bricks had fallen out and cracks were visible but the words Smutts Farm painted red on the wall still readable. But a scuffling in the trees nearby distracted her; she twisted on her heel and looked into the wood but could see nothing.

Meanwhile on the other side of the building Clara waded through the outer buildings there were stables which from a distance looked empty but as Clara neared the door of one she noticed cowering in the shadows was a timid horse. It had a large powerful body but it was in quite a state, its strong legs trembled beneath it and its ribs were protruding through its skin, there were deep scares on its hind legs and red gashes across its neck. The hay around it was distributed all over the floor with buckets tipped and water spilled everywhere on top of that the stable smelt like it had not been cleaned in days and that was when Clara started to wonder what had happened here. As she edged closer to have a better look the horses eyes widened in terror and rose on its hind legs and pounded the ground with its front hooves. Clara stepped away swiftly, moving backwards she tripped over a brick and fell backwards, the horse continued to whinny and Clara scrambled up off the floor rubbing the dust off her grazed hands on her shorts. She stumbled forward without looking her feet moving clumsily in front of her they managed to find the edge of a swamp where she tumbled in.

A booming splash was heard, the creature in the leaves scuttled away and Katya's attention averted to where the splash came from, something was struggling in the water and Katya began to run heavily, feet plodding on the ground, her legs heavy underneath her. Soon Katya found a swamp, it was fairly small and lined by reeds and straw looking grass. The water was covered in a thick layer of gunge and pollen which made it wrinkle like the skin of custard. In the centre of the swamp arms were flailing and water splashing. Katya saw a recognisable Cath Kidson sneaker bobbing in the water in front of her. She knelt down and reached it out of the water. Soon Clara's face emerged from under water and she gulped for air. Katya immediately got down on her stomach both arms stretched out in front of her she reached hopefully for Clara's waving arms in a matter of minutes Katya had her hands clasped with those of Clara's. With a wave of effort Katya heaved Clara out of the water, her clothes were sodden and pulled her down but they managed slowly. They were left rolling on the ground panting but within a few minutes of exhaustion the wind began to pick up again and Clara shivered with shock and a deathly shill set into her bones.

Meanwhile Alice was passing the time searching the far corner of the farm. She discovered among obstructing clutter of an old machinery rusting and a heap of chicken wire entangled in a big pile next a large tractor which had obviously had been abandoned as two of the large wheels only one was remaining . At the back of this dump pile there was a gap in a corrugated iron wall, Alice had managed to shuffle her way through to the gap nig enough to fit through. But as she got closer to the gap she felt a guilty sense rising in her chest, this was breaking and entering so she made up her mind to turn around and return to the daylight.

Katya and Clara scrambled up off the floor with effort and raced towards the far corner of the farm where they could hear Alice shuffling about, wet footprints followed behind Clara but there were also smaller footprints going in the opposite direction but these were unnoticeable in the gravel as the girls trudged strong willed towards the scuffling noise. As they neared the noise they saw something shifting in a huge entanglement of chicken wire, instinctively they hid behind the large three wheeled tractor. The sisters ducked conspicuously behind the large remaining tractor wheel and as the monster emerged from the chicken wire they huddled close together. A beam of sunlight struck their eyes and what had once been a monster now formed a silhouette of a young girl. Alice stepped out of the light, hands on waist with a questioning face turned down to Clara and Katya crouched as low as possible to the ground. "What are you doing down there?" she asked surprised... Katya replied stammering as adrenaline ran from her veins "We ... thought you were a monster, or an alien of some type!" "Oh don't be so silly, you know aliens don't exist!" Alice stated confidently.

An unsettling breeze rustled the debris around them and Alice helped Katya and Clara up off the floor. Curiosity battled Alice and so she decided to show the others what she had found. She led them hand in hand to the gap in the wall and with uneasiness about them they entered one by one, Alice first followed by Katya and Clara last, who was the most unsure about this. Entering the house through a mess of cobwebs and musty smells they found themselves spellbound standing cramped on a small landing from what looked liked a drawing room. But what caught their attention was the old wooden staircase leading down into the darkness before them and they started to descend.

_**Torchwood 4**_

Jack stepped over a dusty skeleton gingerly, gun still aimed and poised to his left shoulder, he ran sharply into the kitchen and kicked the door open with his booted foot he swung his arms around and pointed his arms with his Webley held on the end at every corner in the room. Once he saw there was nobody in the room he walked briskly over to the large oak table placed directly in the middle of the room. The table was covered in a thick film of dust. The table was laid for two, dirty plates in the sink covered in breadcrumbs and rotten egg yolk. The oven was open but off, a tray was sitting in the middle of the oven it was half full of fat which had become solid over time. Jack circled the table examining the remnants of breakfast, stale bread sat in the centre, maggots crawling all around it, two jars of jam and marmalade sat frozen with lids open exposed to flies. Jack winced at the state of things and moved away heavy boots striking the linoleum floor.

Gwen had followed Jack into the kitchen remaining on guard while he investigated by the door but now she took a look for herself. She headed straight for the window, which was left ajar, and a soft breeze blew through brushing Gwen's jet black hair lightly as she peered out of the window. Adjacent to the window was a wooden box fairly small full to the top with apples. They were large green and red apples, cooking apples Gwen presumed which sprung up a memory apple crumble with a hint of cinnamon, a memory of home with Rhys. But as Gwen looked more closely at the apples she realised they were rotten, many had large dull brown patches and dark holes. Looking even closer Gwen noticed that there were large maggots looking creatures weaving in and out of apple flesh. However these maggots looked larger than normal maggots, they were fatter, more round and fleshy, pale white and an inch long in average. They struck Gwen's attention and she turned to Jack for clarification.

Jack peered over the box of apples to have a look for himself and then summoned Sato over to take a specimen to test. As Sato carefully struck a maggot and filed into into the test tube with a rubber stopper she was star struck, these unusual maggots were the correct match to the larvae that she had discovered in the monster files. The lawyer debated in her busy mind weather to now reveal what she had discovered to Jack, but before she could get the sentence to form in her mouth the Captain had dismissed her and his virulent voice called out "Dr Harper needed her!" and a scurry of feet from under baggy jeans appeared in her place. Sato moved away silently to diligently test the larvae; she found a dusty, old pink carpeted step to sit on, part of the main staircase leading upstairs. The staircase led off from directly in front of the entrance door, this was where surgeon Jones was busily examining the two skeletons that lay paralysed stretched out on the floor. The post mortem was difficult to accurately put a finger on as the two bodies, presumed to be husband and wife, were stripped down clearly to the bone; the only evidence of blood trail were a few streaks on the final few steps of the staircase and vigorous marks on the floorboards under which they lay, it was not enough evidence for a massacre of this size.

The surgeon and lawyer continued to work in silence, Jones lapsing often as concentration of what had happened failed to grasp her attention. However Sato maintained her diligence. Neither spoke to each other as they knew that this case was alien related and on personal terms they don't really get along as they both admired their Captain very closely and therefore there was a little jealously between them that set them apart. However at this moment Jones saw in Sato's eyes that something troubling her and went and sat beside her on the stairs avoiding the blood stained streak step. Jones put a comforting around her and squeezed her far arm lightly, Sato put down her work and gave in to the comfort of a fellow team member as she realised without doubt they were all in this together.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six- Perspectives

_**Torchwood 4**_

Jack stormed into the hallway like a true World War Two Captain pausing as he reached the bodies. Or what was left of them on the floor. The lawyer and surgeon immediately jumped out of each other's comfort as they did no want their Captain to think they could not cope. Jones rose up into the air with a jerk and quickly scampered down the few steps to confront her Mr. Harkness. She explained a summary of what had happened to the couple that had died brutally just where the two of them were standing, but it did not explain much however Jack continued to stand there with a confused face ads Jones babbled on expertly. Sato remained perched on the steps where Jones had left her, she reminisced in the moment that passed rather than carrying on with her work and instead she stared dreamily at Jack and Jones happily together. Their conversation played in the back of her mind softly.

Suddenly Gwen raced into the main entrance where the rest of the gang were gathered, followed closely by Dr. Harper and at that moment Sato jumped up "Jack, Jack, I have something to tell you, I know what it was, what killed them!" as she said this she ran so fast into Jack that she bundled into his arms and he held her in his arms close to his chest for a moment too long that made the situation slightly awkward. However the frazzled lawyer continued to explain her own hypnosis "I found a correct match in the monster files, an alien species of larvae that eats human skin" Jack looked down at his short but beautiful team member with a startled face but he only said calmly "Show me the entry on the computer" and with that the pair of them walked out of the house to the SUV parked outside, Jack's arm hung tightly around Sato's shoulders. As the pair of them wandered off the doctors got down to discussing the new situation and Gwen stood by piecing it all together, jealous that a fellow team member had walked off so happily in Jack's warmth.

The Land Rover gave off a sonarating beep to alarm those that the SUV was unlocked, Jack opened the back door like a gentleman and the genius stepped inside and placed herself delicately on the leather seat as she turned on the computer in front of her. As it warmed up and a whirr sounded she looked up into the Jack's blue eyes as so many had done before, Jack smiled his cocked 100 watt smile in return at her own misty blue eyes and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder as she turned to attend the computer. As soon as the screen lit up she produced a page with the various monster files. Jack's gaze immediately became more alert as he recognised the description of the larvae, Sato once again looked up at him with questions but instead he just turned away and called over his shoulder "Good work!" and a raucous bark was heard from the house and Jack picked up the pace, jogging slightly as he neared the open door .

Fifi came bounding out of the door rushing at Jack's legs leaping up to lick his face, but Jack knew this excitement meant something was wrong. As he entered the house he grasped the edge of the door and swung around it violently, his eyes swivelled around after his head almost comically and he saw Gwen peering over the two skeletons around which the doctors were discussing. Jack questioned with authority "What's going on –"but before he could continue he was interrupted as Fifi came bounding back in, clambering through Jack's legs and racing up the stairs. Jack followed her pacing up the stairs three at a time and arrived at the top exhausted. The blood stains that were on the few steps at the bottom also marked the upper landing and Jack grimaced art this, meanwhile Fifi had picked up a scent and was following it hastily and Jack shadowed her as she cornered the upper floor.

After sussing it all out Jack returned down the stairs and Fifi followed behind him trudging along swiftly. As he arrived at the bottom of the staircase the rest of the team raised their heads and rose to their feet almost in a militaristic matter. Without consulting his fellow team members Jack had pieced together the strange happenings and had come to a conclusion. Meanwhile Gwen was trying to pick up what was happening and when Jack stated that they were leaving to the nearby orchards, Gwen was still trying to follow Jack's conclusion a few stapes behind. "Take the bodies with you and continue work on the post mortem." Jack commanded. He followed this by trotting out of the door with Fifi at his heal, together they marched across the barren landscape towards the SUV with an air of authority about them.

_**Welsh country people**_

The darkness swallowed the girls as they sank into the abyss, Alice led the way as she was the most curious then Katya followed with Clara trailing at the back, but that was because she was not the sort of person who broke rules. But even as it seemed unlikely the darkness was becoming blacker as they declined and the girls became more frightened. But soon enough Alice reached level with the basement and the girls filtered through a narrow stone archway, their feet shuffling in front of them blindly, and hands fumbling out in front of them clawing in the nothingness. The three girls forked off, Alice edged along the brick wall, fingers stretching out across the uneven surface. Eventually those bony fingers found a hanging cord and she struck it boldly, immediately the light burst dramatically and flickered irritatingly. As Clara and Katya's eyes adjusted to the change in light they paused for the moment, a careful glance around the basement highlighted many tall boxes of cardboard covered in dust and large hanging cobwebs between the boxes.

The girls dispersed into the large, dim room which looked quite cramped with all the debris cluttered in it. However it was a square room with deep corners and it didn't take long for the three of them to search through it thoroughly. Finding nothing interesting the girls returned up the basement stairs slowly as to not to disturb the sleeping house, creeping like mice. Once again they peered around the landing and noticed a musty drawing layered with dust which was visible in the beams of light streaming through the parted curtains. But soon their patience ran out and they filtered out of the door. Storming into daylight they crossed the barren ground and spread out like a fan.

Suddenly the sound of heavy feet crunching on gravel echoed amongst the buildings but what was strange was that as the girls stopped that could still hear the crunching sound following them and they gulped simultaneously, they weren't alone. Without moving or making a sound they looked at each other with guilty faces and agreed with tacit agreement to near the wall and edge along it cautiously. Clara decided to lead them this time and as she peered around the corner of the wall she was absorbed in the scene in front of her. She held her breathe and her eyes widened as she watched a tall man with a long coat and a casual walk, trot away from her. He turned to look over his shoulder but failed to see her staring in his direction, he was signalling to others and soon this rather good looking man Clara thought was surrounded by four other women and a Dalmatian bounding behind them. It occurred to Clara suddenly as she become removed from the scene in front as they turned away, that this was rather odd, why would someone else stumble across this derelict farm, there was nothing to see here, was there?

Soon the team of a tall man and what looked like his close companions, one of which was a short well built woman wearing a black leather jacket and matching boots staying close to the heel of her leader, they must be close concluded Clara. Followed closely by three other girls, the tallest one was the skinniest but if she stood up straighter with her shoulders back she would be reaching the height of the man in charge. The other two companions were slightly shorter and stronger looking but never the less still attractive; they trudged slower at the back. The group were strolling towards a large grey tin Land Rover and the energetic dog raced between their legs excitedly. They clambered into the SUV which looked strangely too small to fit them all comfortably, but they seemed to manage easily, even to two large plastic bags that two of the smaller assistants were hauling along, that Clara recognised as body bags from detective sci-fi shows she watched on the TV, seemed to fit in easily.

The squeal of brakes on the rough ground as the gentleman swerved the vehicle out of the grounds brutally and the smell of exhaust fumigated as Clara watched to vehicle disappear like a large creature. As the lucid SUV vanished out of sight Clara turned back to consult Alice and Katya but as she babbled on so fast all they could do was stare back at her with blank faces. Trying to interpret what Clara had downloaded into their brains Katya suddenly became very excited and started to squeal and as the excitement rose around them Alice got enraptured in it and they all started to jump around with energy and no before long they started galloping towards the wood. Branches and leaves brushed against them and the humidity set in again accompanied by the crunching of pine needles under their feet.

Alice followed the path winding around old rotting trees, jumping over outstretched roots and skipping over rocks. The girls straddled over a fallen tree and raced on faster the other side. Soon they came to a clearing and the other voices could he heard again. They ducked behind a holly bush large enough to hide the three of them behind, where they knelt down cautiously, the bush rustled slightly as Katya caught her sleeve on it making a tear. She cursed as she noticed the snag in her new jumper, Clara also tutted as she pointed it out. Meanwhile Alice was staring intently through the parting in the bush. As the girls stayed hushed they watched as the team exit from the stylish car.

First the tall slender gentleman slid out of the driver's seat and his boots crunched across the forest floor. By the way he looked and when he flicked on his earpiece, he was definitely a spy looking detective and as he took big strides his coat flapped around him and he flicked his thick brown hair out of his face, he was a soldier. Clara was in awe of him as her cheeks blushed red she continued to follow his steps. At his feet he had brown leather boots which were heavy on the floor. He had woollen trousers that matched his long greatcoat and an aqua blue shirt with all the buttons done up except the last, giving a more casual look, and his red braces clearly showing as he placed his strong hands on his hips revealing the braces. His crisp shirt accentuated his sea blue eyes which were set in his smooth face with a sharp jaw.

The second of the team was the shorter stronger woman. She was dressed fairly smartly in tight black jeans and a bright red t-shirt with a low neck and as Katya pondered about it she though its brightness reflected her personality. And to finish the costume off she wore a black leather jacket shaped similarly by her haircut. But beat of all thought Katya was her black leather boots with a slight heel that made her totter around after her Captain awkwardly on the even floor. Clara noticed that although the solider was surrounded by four women the one dressed in the black jeans was different to the other three; it looked like she had more of a connection to the Captain than the others.

What was clearly different to Alice was that the other three girls carried a more nervous look and tread more cautiously around the clearing than the bolder looking woman and the solider. Alice eyed them all curiously, there was one girl who was shadowing the gentleman and skittering at his heel. She was looking down at her feet with her shoulders slumped over and an unhappy glare in her face. Her golden hair hung around her shoulders with highlights of lighter blond and red ginger striking through. She had her own unique style but was not too proud to show it, she was dressed in dark trousers worn down with tears and scuffed up bottoms, but stylish all the same. In the dust her grey ankle boots shuffled around and coughed up clouds of chalky air. She glanced down at her bulky watch and followed by rolling back her shirt sleeves. She wore a waistcoat which was a matching murky colour to her trousers, it had a silver chain hanging from it and although she looked very glammed up for this kind of work it was clear she was comfortable in it. And then she looked up with misty blue eyes with a stare like a wolf, but she said nothing as she noticed the three girls ducked behind the bush staring back into her eyes.

The third woman from the car looked like a very intelligent girl; she had some form of electronic device in her hand and kept glancing between it and the floor. Her hair was sandy coloured with a greyish tinge that made it the most interesting hair Clara had ever seen. She was more tanned than the others and obviously did not approve of the changing Welsh weather as she stepped gingerly in her towering high heels over the muddy puddles. She had a tight pencil skirt on, highlighting her womanly shaped hips and a crisp clean white shirt with cufflinks glinting in the light. Her smile was infectious as the corners of her mouth rose and she looked at the tall man in his WW2 coat the smile spread to him and completed a circuit. It was clear from the glint in her eyes that she totally admired her Captain and wanted to do anything to please him.

The final woman to complete the team was dressed in a lab coat smurred with dirt and blood and the lapels dressed in badges. She had her dark hair pulled back into a low ponytail; her face was concentrated on a device she had ferreted out of her deep pockets. The device sounded as it seemed to scan the surroundings and the doctor turned the knobs on the side. Her jeans and turquoise converse were caked in dirt and grime but her matching turquoise t-shirt which was spotless. But coming up behind her galloping wildly was the Dalmatian. It s spots became a blur as it sped past her jumping up to the man. However as the dog was not given the attention it wanted it was distracted to the hushed whispering behind the holly bush. Soon its hackles raised and ears erect its attention turned to the girls. In an alert dog kind of way it trotted towards the bush sniffing eagerly on its way.

The girls huddled tighter as they noticed the dog approaching, their breathing became shallower and quieter. The dog was so close you could hear its own breathing and its dainty paws clawing the soil around the bush. Then its husky bark deafened the ears of Clara, Katya and Alice, however it took much more than a dozen barks to alert the Captain the dog had found something. The girls decided it was best to escape from the shadows before they were revealed. Remaining impossibly silent they crawled out the back of the bush but little did they realise that the woman with dark hair and the leather jacket had already come running in their direction hoping to discover something useful in her mission. She called over to them in a strong welsh accent "Hey!" and the girls immediately rose to their feet and replied surprisingly calmly "Uh, we were just on a walk." They said this looking down at their feet and it was now that Clara realised she had lost the walk book. The women grinned at their matching welsh accents and miserable lie. Meanwhile an American voice further back enquired "Where are you from?" "We're from around here-"answered Katya confidently and continued "-and who are you?" The team of five replied simultaneously "We're Torchwood!"


	7. Chapter 7

**For my Ianto Jones Happy Birthday! Sorry I wanted to put this up on your birthday but I could not get the internet to work, so here is a slightly delayed birthday present! For you!**

Chapter Seven – Admission

"What is Torchwood anyway?" questioned Clara. The welsh woman looked back at her companions looking for confirmation but the American continued with certainty "We're a secret organisation that hunts down aliens and protects the planet against them." The girls looked at each other dumbfounded "So aliens really exist!" exclaimed Clara, "Yes they really do and they are even here in the Welsh countryside." Added the intelligent woman with towering high heels, she seemed to be as excited as the girls at the prospect of there being aliens. Now the girls had stepped around the bush and the Dalmatian now known as Fifi had calmed down and had given them a thorough checking out, the man introduced themselves "This wonderful lady here is Gwen Cooper." He said indicating the welsh woman "And this is Isabel Sato my favourite lawyer, Dr Maria Harper, the doctor obviously and finally Dr. Issy Jones our surgeon!" as he said all of this very proudly the lady in high heels and skirt stepped forward first followed by the woman in the lab coat and then the girl who was dressed differently nodded glumly as her name was mentioned. "And I am Captain Jack Harkness" the man exclaimed gleefully handing out his large hand to shake, Clara took the handshake happily and smiled into his face, she felt she had been admitted into his whirlwind of a life.

The skinny girl with the waistcoat stepped forward and stated "Now if you don't mind we're on an important mission here and we must get on!" the Captain nodded as he slipped his hand out of Clara's grasp and added "I'm afraid so, work to do." Katya and Clara particularly felt down immediately as they had become enwrapped in the life of this team already. But as they prepared to leave a dark creature glided across the clearing, they all froze as the creature crawled forwards its fangs snarling and its bright yellow beady eyes staring at its dinner. As the monster came closer and closer the girls remained frozen to the ground in a state of panic. However Jack was hopping from foot to foot bounding with energy and then in a sudden fit of panic he grabbed two of the nearest hands one in each of his and sprinted down a narrow parting in the trees.

The two girls behind him were Katya and Clara and they held on tightly, their own small hands clasped in the large old looking hands of their hero. They smiled faintly at each other in the thrill of the chase. Their legs stretching to keep up with the long legs of the Captain but they were hurtled along with his speed anyway. He ran in a peculiar fashion with his knees up high and his face all contorted but he managed to maintain speed even without the use of his arms as they were held behind him holding on to the girls and could not pump him along. However his lungs did not seem to fail him as he covered the forest in what seemed a matter of minutes. The pace slowed down as they came to a steady halt, the girls faces were flushed red and they bent over hands on knees now Jack had let go of their hold, failing to catch their breath. Meanwhile Jack still maintained the same pallor and was pacing around on his spot instead, running obviously came under his job description.

But before they had another minute to catch their breath there was movement in the bushes. An unrecognisable animal raced through them in a blur but rather than waiting to see what it was Jack was off again with Katya and Clara clinging to his sides as he headed further into the wood dodging the trees skilfully. Katya was having trouble keeping her jeans on they were moving so fast and Jack lost hold of Clara as she tripped and fell to the ground in a thump. As Clara lay heavy on the dusty ground, light blinded her as it seeped through the trees heavy with leaves. Her blood was pounding in her ears and her lungs heaving but she could hear the creature in the bushes coming closer and closer. Jack changed direction swiftly as soon as he felt the weight go from his left arm. He hoisted Katya over his shoulder and charged back for Clara.

All at once Clara was confronted with the Dalmatian, Fifi putting its slobber all over her face as her hero came to scoop her up and away from the creature. A happy friendly laugh escaped from the Captain's tense mouth and the girls laughed with him. His gleeful chuckle was infectious but all the happiness soon came to a sudden halt as they realised in this entire adventure story Alice had been left behind. Clara exploded into a gasp of sudden shock, how she could have left her best friend behind she thought as she darted back towards the clearing. However as her first sneaker trod back down the path a firm grip pulled her back around. "No, you can't go back!" Jack barked into her face. Clara felt a little turndown by this but soon came to a conclusion that he was probably right.

They stayed in the trees for a while and the Jack clicked on his earpiece and spoke clearly "Isabel have you got the other girl?" and the he continued "Alright, good, keep safe we don't know what we are dealing with here" Jack finished his conversation and walked back to Katya and Clara who were fussing over Fifi. As Jack turned back to face them Katya and Clara had a shared look of panic. His lanky legs stretched out casually as he came towards them and he reassured their worried faces by explaining Alice was safely in the car with the others. "It's alright we can go back now" He said this so calmly that the girls believed nothing was wrong. Jack revealed a spare lead from his belt and clipped it on to the excited Fifi. The three of them and the dog trudged down the muddy path in silence only accompanied by the rushed panting from the hanging hot pink tongue from Fifi's mouth. As they neared a soft bend Fifi stalled and stood in a defensive position revealing her shiny white fangs from under her pink fleshy gums. Without waiting a further second Jack whipped out his well trusted Webley with one hand as it slipped neatly out of its holster and with the other hand he indicated for the girls to get behind him.

Meanwhile Alice had been bundled into the Land Rover by the doctor in the lab coat and was sitting in the back seat mesmerised and rubbing her hands across the cool smooth leather seats. Maria sat in the passenger seat in front of her and was frantically searching for something. From the glove compartment she retrieved a small automatic and a syringe which she filled up with a cloudy liquid and stashed it in her pocket as if it was a lethal injection of something. The girl mumbled hastily "Stay here, ok!" and Alice nodded glumly as she curled tighter into the corner. Suddenly there was a gush of cold air as Isabel opened the boot and claimed an animal trap from the special compartments. As Maria left slamming the side door and the boot closed heavily Alice thought about Clara and Katya.

Alice's mind reached out to them and hoped they were alright. Cowering in the back of this amazing car she wondered what was going on outside the protection of the tin walls, she could hear the others screaming commands and a few gun shots ricochets in the distance. Soon the commotion outside came to a stop and then with another sudden gush of cold air the boot reopened and Issy placed the trap back in the boot, but it looked considerably heavier than before. Once the boot closed once again the girl came around and opened the door Alice readied herself to climb out. "It's alright, you can come out now." She said sweetly holding the door open. Alice slid gingerly across the seats and stepped out. The other girl, Isabel was talking into her earpiece and confirming everything was under control.

Fifi continued to make a fuss about whatever it was lurking behind the curb and now Jack edged forward cautiously his gun raised above his head his feet striding out in front of him, a seriousness spread across his face as he disappeared around the corner with his faithful dog but Katya and Clara remained huddled together. They could no longer see Jack's stern face and Fifi's raised hackles. There was silence until a shot rang out and there were scrabbling noises. But soon Jack returned with Fifi at his heel and a gleeful trot as in her mouth she held a prize badger, black and white as her spots. Blood drooled from the beast's bite wounds and gunshot wound and therefore the girls no longer felt the urge to cuddle Fifi and congratulate her. Jack returned his gun still smoking back into his leather holster and tapped it affirmatively as if he was proud of its duty and the three of them with Fifi following close behind walked back towards the car with pride in their step.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight- Blood, guts and numbers

Reunited the team discussed the recent happenings and the three attached recruits chatted in shock about what they had experienced. Jack called order and decided to arrange a meeting, he strolled over to the car and the rest followed him except Clara, Katya and Alice who remained in an awkward state watching them but as Jack pulled out a long table from the side of the car and Isabel turned on one of the computers, the girls were intrigued and scurried over to have a look for themselves. "But...how ?" asked a perplexed Clara "Basically it is dimensionally transcendental" Jack explained and Issy added in a hushed voice " Bigger on the inside." But this explanation resulted in no change to the confused look smeared across Clara's face.

The wooden table did not have any chairs around it but was comfortably at waist height and the team stood around it and spread papers across its surface. Blue lights flashed and central controls popped up projections with numbers and maps. In amongst the clatter and activity Katya guessed that the Captain liked the colour blue because he also wore blue himself, however this had little relevance in the matters whirling around her. Together they grouped information and came to a conclusion that this creature which they referred to as a badger was somehow involved in the disappearance of many bodies in the area. Issy shuffled over to the boot of the SUV where the two badgers one of which was dead, were stored. She extracted the dead badger from the small morgue compartment and placed it delicately on the pulled out autopsy table.

Her hands stained with blood under the fingernails touched the metal tray and it felt as cold as the badger, a chilling thought for her miserable day. Jones unrolled a leather pouch stained with blood but on the inside her instruments were neatly laid out, however they were not stained but shining sterilised clean. She used a large pair of stainless steel scissors to cut the skin down the middle of its stomach. Its inner guts fell out and slopped all over the side like an exploding pudding, another cheerful thought. The sight made Alice retch however Clara was still transfixed. As more blood spilled Dr Harper made her way over to assess the situation. Meanwhile Jack, Isabel and Gwen remained posed around the table, they discussed statistics and sitting with seriousness but hey took control efficiently like this was an everyday occurrence, this was what shocked Katya the most.

Among the blood, guts and numbers they came to a conclusion. "It has been concluded-"began Dr. Maria, Jack searched her eyes for the end of the sentence and then she continued "-that this badger yet to be classified, eats human flesh." Her sentence was interposed as Gwen interrupted "Classifying ..." as she entered some information in her P.D.A and an image of a badger looking creature materialised on the projection, except it was subtly different form a normal badger. "It's called a Gerbab and originates from the Solus" to everyone else this sounded like a made up place but not to Jack. "Oh yeah, they are dangerous from there." And it was not until now that Maria could complete her conclusion and she did so with a huff "However this means that there is another creature of alien origin that eats the skin which therefore leaves the corpses stripped to the bone."Jack and Isabel shared a smile secretly, Isabel nodded and Jack began "The Livevile larvae are responsible for that, I have encountered them before and they should from my experience be fairly easy to get rid of." Jack now took full leadership. "Right Issy, Gwen and myself will go into Smutts Wood, not far from here to investigate the situation "And you..." he commanded indicating Isabel, Maria, Katya and Clara "...shall remain here and develop a pesticide to kill the Livevile."

Commands preached and intentions stated the group divided. Jack freed Fifi from her lead and she galloped ahead down an adjacent path that they had gone down before. Gwen followed at Jacks side eager to keep up, but she had a powerful stroll and it was not too hard to match his pace. However Issy trudged more slowly behind her Mr. Harkness, but he could feel her lurking presence and knew she was there. But Issy failed to watch his receding figure as the distance between them increased. She did not know what it was that made her like this. She found just being her almost uncomfortable in herself, she wasn't sure who she was or even what she wanted to be, she almost felt her body moved with the waves, she had no control. But as the forest gradually become darker and more mystical she quickened her pace and caught up with the Captain as she knew her assistance would be needed and for him she would give it.

The trees looked much older here, their branches were low but their trunks were wide, they were not smooth bark coatings but knobbly characterised bumps in their surface. There were knots and crevasses in the wood and their stunted growth made them look even more like mythical creatures. Gwen pointed out that they were apple trees and a notice from the owner of the woodland, known to be one of the missing, confirmed that they were apple trees. But now it had grown into a wild orchard. Moss covered every inch of the forest; the vibrant green coated the trees the ground was also covered by a furry green blanket. The moss produced a feeling that the forest was enchanted and had been frozen in time. But as fog encircled the tree trunks the team no longer felt excitement but a chill and even Fifi retreated to her Captain's heel.

As the fog thickened Jack and Gwen both whipped out a flashlight from an ankle brace and even Issy took up the courage to put a hand on the Captain's tense shoulder. Jack could feel her hand on his shoulder and felt its light touch which suggested Issy's sensitivity. However she squeezed her grasp affectionately and kept her hand on Jack as a guide through the wilderness. Soon an overwhelming odour of pungent apples engulfed Gwen's nostrils and in reaction she brought her free hand to cover her face and then Issy did the same but Jack carried on unaffected. A light bulb popping idea came to Gwen, the"maggots" she had discovered earlier in the tray of rotting apple are the Livevile. So all she needed to do was find some rotting apples and that would not be difficult in a deteriorating apple orchard. Issy watched Gwen whisper something to Jack and wished she had a closer connection to him a as Gwen did. But before she could dream any longer she was whisked away, once again without control over body, they moved over to the side of the narrow path and began to charge into a maze of old apple trees.

They waded through a tangle of brambles and over grown vegetation claiming more of the forest and exploring the darkness beyond. Jack's torch illuminated a tree bursting with Livevile meanwhile Gwen noticed the apples littering the floor and forming a mush on the ground where the flesh full of juice had developed into a pulp. Small creatures writhed in and out of the matter their round white bodies pulsing as they ate through the apple. To Gwen they did not look too special but jack found an interest in their extra-terrestrial behaviour. He bent down to examine the Livevile like an excited little boy but Gwen pulled a face in disgust and did not crouch down to join him. However Issy joined him squatting near the floor, her hand had slipped form his shoulder but she rested it on his knee instead and smiled up into his lined but happy face. His face was enlightened to meet her own blue starring eyes, she had this kind of stare that was both cold and intimidating but also searching, Jack thought.

They said nothing to each other but shared a though telepathically all the time Gwen lurked behind them awkwardly, she didn't often find herself in this situation and she didn't like it very much so she broke the tension, like a knife through ice. "Look Jack aren't these Livevile?" she said inspecting one wriggling as she held it up in a pair of tweezers. She placed it in attest tube and it swirmed as it fell to the bottom of the tube. Gwen sealed it with cotton wool in the top and held it in front of Jack's face to gain his attention. Suddenly he detached himself form Issy's gaze and gave his devotion to Gwen. She smiled as his old, wise eyes met her lively, fiery ones and then she knew he was all hers. "That's wonderful now we can take that back and work on a pesticide!" Jack exclaimed. Suddenly Fifi barked and began to growl. Jack and Gwen began to rush to the pathway. Coming from the other end was a tatty old man with ragged clothing staggering unsteadily. As he neared Gwen she raised her gun with a double hand hold as she could now see that the man's skin was crawling with maggots, Fifi barked again and the man fell to the ground with a bullet in his chest.

The wound was oozing with blood and it ran across the man's body spreading among his rags. Fifi ran to the body as soon as its last breathe escaped but Gwen was left shaking her gun still held timidly in her trembling arms. Jack came to comfort her immediately, a firm arm around her shoulders and she sobbed into his chest. She always reacted in this way, to killing. Meanwhile Issy rolled her eyes as she thought Gwen always over reacted to things and was too soft for this job. But jack knew differently, Gwen was the kindest, sweetest and most caring person he knew, she only cried because she had a big hearts and she cared about people. Jack loved her for that and wanted to capture all her love and emotion in his heart. As the two embraced each other Issy went over to attend to the body. Its mangy form lay sprawled out on the floor but she dealt with it either way. Once the body was packed and Gwen had recovered, sample collected and Fifi at heel they set off in return for the SUV.

Back at base the three girls made themselves busy. They prepared canisters to release the pesticide, 23 in total and they had located areas within the forest to place each canister, all they needed now was the Livevile to produce a pesticide. This operation needed careful planning and thorough thought, Maria and Isabel both had that kind of attitude in abundance and therefore Alice, Katya and Clara felt themselves in the way and a nuisance really, however they helped as best they could. Between themselves they found a connection and could work effectively together but soon they found themselves with little to do and they could only wait for the others to return. However they did not have to wait too long as Jack's arrival was announced by the rustle in the bushes. There was also a different sound as if something heavy was being dragged through the gravel.

First Jack stepped forward out of the woods into view, his crisp blue shirt a little blood stained and his hands too. Fifi was at his heel and Gwen following close behind, she was pale and shaking. Issy turned up even more blood stained and then scurried over to the SUV and Fifi ran excitedly beside her. Once the boot was open she pulled out a draw from the morgue and gas pillowed out like carbon dioxide used for staging effects. The draw was empty. As Issy had moved the others could now see a black body bag. Jack first pushed forward Gwen to go and make herself a cuppa from the mini kitchenette and then he heaved the body over his shoulder and a crack of bones echoed as he did so effortlessly.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine- The Captain Moves On

The body was crammed into the morgue drawn and from its condition it was clear the Livevile ate the human skin and so the team's conclusions were right. With the sample maggot Isabel compiled a form of pesticide. "So what's in this concoction exactly?" asked Jack as he leaned across the table pulling a cheesy grin at Isabel. Isabel read off a list of 20% Oxygen, 30% Argon, 15% Nitrogen, 25% Acetone and 10% Hydrogen, systematically from the projection in response to Jack's question. She smiled up cheerfully at his graze rubbing her hands gleefully. "Right so let's set it off team!" Commanded Jack and in response Isabel plunged at the button on the consol and a loud whirring sound echoed across the forest followed by an exploding sound as the gas released "Good work team!" commented Jack as he began to pack up, Isabel followed swiftly and Issy did the same. Katya, Clara and Alice watched this magical world they had fallen in to being packed away with forlorn faces. The rest of the team seemed to carry on as they had done before, just the five of them. Alice noticed the leadership from Jack, the exclusion of Issy and the shared companionship between Maria and Gwen working hard at her Captain's side. Issy was constantly glancing down, Jack was swiftly packing up, his coat floating as he ran from station to station and although he had Gwen close beside him, he looked like a separate half with his other half missing. Gwen ordered things neatly and kept a calm attitude as the rush continued arMund her. Isabel turned off the computers and projectors whilst Maria packed away medical instruments and locked the morgue compartment.

It did not take long for all to be packed away and miraculously it all fit in the Land Rover. Jack was admiring how quickly they had loaded the SUV and then turned around to bundle in Fifi in her cage, but could not find her. However from the shrill of giggles he discovered Fifi enclosed, around her were Katya, Clara and Alice and she lapped up all the cuddles and attention she could get. "Come on time to go Fifi!" Jack announced disappointingly but Fifi responded and followed his lead as he strolled towards the Land Rover. Fifi jumped up gingerly on the back seats and Issy closed her into her cage where she settled happily despite being jumpy with excitement. The team gathered together and stood facing the three girls. They made rushed farewells and Jack turned on his heel to make his way to the driver's seat and the other team members followed his actions except Gwen. Mrs Cooper remained in a strong stance "Jack we can't just leave the girls here; can't they come with us or something after all they have been through." She demanded with Welsh vowels rolling off the end of her tongue. Jack took her firmly in the crook of her arm and pulled her over to the side. He whispered harshly in her ear "And what do we do with them?" As he questioned her decision Gwen stood but her remark and eventually she got Jack to agree.

With that they all crammed into the SUV and it rocked with their weight. Jack once again took his place at the wheel and Gwen beside him. Tightly packed together in the next row were Dr. Maria, Isabel, Alice and Clara and more spaced out at the back were Katya and Dr. Issy with Fifi in between them. The loaded Land Rover took off and left the pine needles on the forest floor rustling. In the SUV there was a sticky silence, secret thoughts hung unspoken in the air and the team members stared out the windows passively as to not catch each other's glances. A small whisper started up at the back of the vehicle as Issy attended to a whimpering Fifi. Katya tried to talk to this secluded girl but it was quite difficult as the girl lowered her blue eyes whenever she was spoken to as if she did not want to exist. But Katya being very confident and friendly and an approachable girl with a beautifully round face and shining eyes, kept up the conversation. They made conversation about their lives and where they came from and what they liked but Issy avoided much talk about her job at Torchwood.

Jack tried to concentrate on the road but his mind kept reverting to how selfish he had been and obnoxious, his lack of care ate his soul. But instead he did not show these feelings and breathed deeply keeping a stern face. Countryside passed on either side of the car and the team still gazed dreamily out of the window. Soon the blur of hedges became tall buildings and houses, other cars passed and there were people strolling along the pavements. As the SUV approached the water of Cardiff Bay the Black Topper could be seen towering above the rest of Cardiff Bay. Katya, Clara and Alice stared gaping at the skyscrapers of Cardiff Bay being from the countryside they had never visited Cardiff before. Meanwhile Jack smiled gleefully as he looked up at the Black Topper as it came into view and felt a sense of pride looking at it. It was his creation, his Torchwood, his life and his family and most importantly it was the place he called home.

The SUV pulled into Torchwood's underground car park and Jack punched some numbers in a security code unit and a threatening corrugated iron barrier rose up to let them through. The vehicle moved smoothly down the winding ramp, down and down each level Jack controlled the car's movement so skilfully and they arrived at the very last level with another iron gate, this time Jack spoke into a voice recognition unit and a camera took a picture of his eye and finally he stretched out a hand to a screen to check his fingerprints. The computer confirmed him as Captain Jack Harkness and the gate slid open. As the Land Rover slowly rolled through the maze of company cars Gwen and the others squinted from the change of light. They passed a sporty motorbike first; it was all black and built for speed with little flames on the panels. Next was another motorbike but this was a more civilised bike, a blue Vesper with a nice polished leather seat, this motorbike belonged to Isabel whereas the speedy bike was Issy's. The UK flag patterned mini parked neatly belonged to Gwen, it had a surprisingly good engine so she could get out of danger if ever needed but what disgusted the three girls was the bright pink convertible. As they pulled into the space next to the pink car, the three girls turned to look at it and then looked at Dr. Maria assuming it was her car. However they noticed Jack did not have a ride of his own.

Dr. Maria was strutting around the Hub in her skinny jeans with its little flashy chain and a bright pink hoodie meanwhile the three girls sat on the sofa glumly and looked at the team working busily. The girls continued to sit cramped and uncomfortable on the sofa with little padding and springs sticking up all over the place, the back of the sofa was too far away to lean back on and there were no cushions however they remained seating. The sofa obviously held long memories of a member of the team sitting there lonely and mulling over thoughts, someone who wanted a nap or a first kiss and a chat to a friend, however it made the situation more awkward as the girls felt they were intruding someone else's past. But from this position they watched Gwen busy typing a report up on the computer of the day's activities. Dr. Issy and Dr. Maria were discussing things down in the autopsy bay but their voices echoed on the tiled floor. Isabel meanwhile had disappeared and Jack as well but as they emerged together from a room with a heavy wooden door labelled Jack's office PRIVATE, they assumed they had been sharing important matters together.

As the three girls had not yet been approached and they had only been instructed to sit there and wait, they got up and advanced towards the large 360 degree window in front of them. From out of the window they could see a panorama of Cardiff. As they continued to admire the view Jack sauntered up to them and offered them a glass of water each. They answered politely that they would care for a glass very much if it was not too much of a bother and Jack answered "certainly" and just strolled back towards the kitchenette. As Captain Jack Harkness took a long time preparing their drinks the girls returned to the sad looking sofa. They gulped down their water as they were quite thirsty but as they looked up at a distorted view of Jack's sea blue eyes through the bottom of their glasses that was the last thing they saw.

The girls woke up in the middle of a field. The sky above was a bright blue and littered with a few fluffy white clouds. As they clambered up from the ground, they brushed off the shreds of grass from each other's clothes. As Clara stumbled to her feet she grabbed the walk guide from the ground and in a matter of minutes the girls had found their bearings and were on the right path home.

At the Hub Gwen was finishing off a few typed lines of her report and as the document was printing she cleared up a few things around her workplace. Jack strolled in from the elevator shrugging off his greatcoat and pegging it on the coat stand, as he headed towards Gwen he picked up her printed document from the printer and sauntered towards her, "Good work Cooper!" he exclaimed as he scanned her document but Gwen only scrunched up her face at him and watched Issy following behind him. She could not control the anger building up inside her and screamed at jack "Why did you have to do that to them, they were only girls, they could have helped us" But Jack only screamed back in her face "No, and I can't afford to have another person die at my orders!" Tears welled in Gwen's eyes and she flung herself in Jack's arms crying. The Captain cradled her for a bit and then kissed her softly on her forehead and whispered go home to a nice evening with Rhys. Cooper looked up at Jack and saw images of lost team members Ianto, Owen and Tosh swimming in front of her.

Gwen felt the faint vibrate of a text message in the pocket of her jeans as she slide into her mini. The message was from Rhys it read 'I Luv u Carriad '. Gwen smiled, put the phone away and started the car engine.

Jack turned around to dismiss the rest of the team. He looked to find Dr. Maria but she had already gone as her jacket was missing from the coat stand. He noticed Issy leaving in her black leather motorcycle gear and motioned a farewell wave but no words came out of his mouth; it only opened dumbly and closed again. Jack gulped and strolled into the kitchenette casually with his hands in his pockets. He measured out a small tipple of whisky into the bottom of a glass and tilt back his head and gulped down the whisky in one go. Isabel came up behind him and the Captain turned smoothly placing the glass on the side board. "Are you sure you're alright?" she questioned the Captain and the Captain replied "Yeah, I'm just fine!" whilst embracing Isabel in a hug, but Isabel knew he was far less than fine.

As they pulled out of the embrace Jack held Isabel at arm's length away and looked into her face, he asked if she wanted a lift home and she took his offer delightedly. As the two of them descended from the top floor of the Black Topper they did not exchange a word. Meanwhile the Hub was left lonely and still. They travelled in the SUV in silence and the evening showers came down and the wind wipers washed the rain away. They pulled up outside Isabel's house and as Isabel crept out of the car Jack gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and Isabel's face blushed rosé pink. Meanwhile Jack's face stretched into his happiest smile ever and his large rough hand brushed that of Isabel's small delicate one as she floated gracefully out of the large SUV.

Jack sauntered in slowly dragging his feet lamely as he carried his coat hooked over one shoulder he flung it carelessly on the back of a chair he rolled to the side. He collapsed on the sofa and as he stretched himself across it he rolled over to lie on his side. For a while he lay there staring into space, not really seeing, not really thinking just absorbing the deserted Hub. He closed his eyes and listened for something in the silence but there was only his own breathing and the strong, steady beat of his own heart, a broken heart. He let his mind go and dreamed a thousand dreams of lovers and friends he had lost.

**All I can say is goodbye my team and thank you for everything, good and bad! **


End file.
